In recent weeks, all across the country, students have received countless awards, recognitions, and trophies. That state of affairs prompted Ante and Oliver to examine the participation trophy phenomenon to probe the underlying forces that fuel it. For instance, what does it say about how we view parenting, psychological development, personal well-being, growth and resiliency, self-esteem, and motivation? To what extent is all that connected to shame and anxiety? What sociological and economic forces lurk in the background here? While, as usual, by their recognition, they bite more on what they can chew, they manage to crystallize some critical areas of concern beyond parenting and educational issues.CONNECT WITH USEmailWebsite* * * * * NEW TO THE PODCAST?In this podcast, we engage in free-ranging conversations on life, faith, philosophy, ethics, relationships, culture, experience, and all matters existential. As the show title points out, we approach these things "in the middle of things" by grabbing hold of them unsystematically and provisionally. Concerning "about us," we are friends and verbal sparring partners who also happen to be colleagues at Andrews University. - Oliver Glanz and Ante Jerončič